


It All Started With a Case

by Rose_Aspiring



Category: Boston Legal, The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2020-12-09 07:11:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20990888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_Aspiring/pseuds/Rose_Aspiring
Summary: Elizabeth Keen needs Alan Shore's help to solve a case. They quickly take a liking to each other, but their jobs could end up being troubling to their newfound relationship.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a Boston Legal/The Blacklist crossover. This one is going to be several chapters. I don't own anything, it's only for fun. Let me know what you think and enjoy!

Elizabeth sighed in frustration after looking through yet another case file. Her head was pounding and her eyes could barely stay open. She had been awake for over twenty four hours trying to solve the mysterious string of murders that had been occurring in Boston. It appeared someone had taken it upon themselves to become a copy cat. Not a year ago, an elderly and seemingly unsuspecting man had committed several murders using a skillet. Now, these murders were happening again, but with a much high frequency.

Already, six people had been murdered inside of their homes. It was getting out of hand, so the Boston P.D. had decided to reach out to the FBI. To Elizabeth’s great misfortune, she was assigned the case in the hopes that she’d be able to come up with an adequate profile for their new killer.

She’d run into a dead end, however, and would need more information about the original murderer, Bernard Ferrion, before continuing. That means she’d be making a trip out to Boston. The original killer had gotten off once, thanks to his friend and lawyer, Alan Shore. She would need to speak with him to gather some insight into Ferrion’s patterns of behavior and idiosyncrasies.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth caught the first flight to Boston the next morning, feeling slightly more refreshed but still not well-rested. Hopefully Mr. Shore would be willing to cooperate. Sometimes lawyers could be a bit…difficult.

Walking into the office, Liz approached the secretary. “Elizabeth Keen. FBI,” she said, showing the woman her badge. “I’m here to see Alan Shore.”

“He’s in a meeting, Ms. Keen. Would you mind waiting a few minutes.” The secretary smiled politely.

“This is a matter of great importance. His meeting can wait. Tell him I need to speak with him. Now,” she said a bit impatiently. Usually she wasn’t this prickly, but her lack of sleep was starting to wear on her.

“Alright ma’am. One moment.”

Standing from her desk, the secretary made her way into the office behind her. “Mr. Shore, I’m afraid you’ll have to postpone your meeting. There’s an FBI agent here to see you. Apparently it’s urgent.”

Alan frowned and turned to the man sitting opposite of him. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to reschedule this for a later date. I do apologize.”

The man told him not to worry and let himself out. Alan stood from the table and made his way over to his desk, back facing the door.

A creak sounded as Elizabeth stepped into the room, but she didn’t get a word in edgewise before Alan began speaking. “As you obviously know, I _am _a lawyer, and as far as I can tell, nothing I have done is considered a criminal offense. Now, you’ve just interrupted a _very_ important meeting,” he said, beginning to turn,”so I’m going to have to ask you to hur-“ He abruptly stopped talking as his gaze fell on her, his jaw dropping slightly.

A smile quickly replaced his shocked look and he strode towards her, hand extended in greeting. “Alan Shore. My secretary neglected to mention that I’d be dealing with such a…” his gaze raked down her body and back up again,”delicious young woman. Should we use the handcuffs now or later?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and shook his hand. Of all the types of people she wanted to deal with, he was the last. “Elizabeth Keen. FBI. I suggest you cooperate, Mr. Shore, and keep the comments to yourself.”

“But that takes away all of the _fun_!” He said, holding onto her hand bit too long.

Elizabeth broke their hand shake and gestured to his desk. “Sit down, Mr. Shore. I would like to ask you some questions about Bernard Ferrion. I heard he was a friend of yours and you represented him.” She sat in the chair opposite his desk. “As you probably know, Boston has a copycat killer. I’m a profiler, and I need more information about Mr. Ferrion.

“I would say friend is a bit of a stretch,” replied Alan. “Bernard manipulated me into thinking he was a sweet old man tormented by his mother. In truth, he was an evil, wretched little thing whose word meant absolutely nothing.”

Elizabeth hurriedly wrote down the information and asked,”Do you know of anyone who was close to Mr. Ferrion? Anyone that cared about him?”

Alan shook his head. “Not that I know of. The only person he involved himself with was his mother. And he killed her. So I don’t think your copy cat has any personal connection to the man.”

“What about his personality? Was there anything you can think of that stood out about him?”

“Well, he came off as being a sweet, good natured man who was pushed to the brink by the verbal abuse of his mother. It made sense at the time why he would do it. He feigned this aura of innocence that fooled even me. And I can assure you,” he said, lowering his voice and looking at her with undisguised lust,”I am anything but innocent.”

“Mr. Shore, I thought I told you to stop with the comments. I really don’t have time for them, so kindly put an end to it before I’m forced to take matters into my own hands.” Elizabeth’s tone was laced with irritation, her jaw clenched tight as her anger grew. He was so annoying, this man.

“Promises, promises,” Alan replied, a smirk planted firmly on his face. He sensed her growing irateness and quickly added,”I apologize, Lizzie, but I’m a terrible flirt. Really, I’m harmless. I promise. However, if I’m going to work with you on this case, you’ll have to indulge me and allow me to flirt with you at least a little bit.”

She rolled her eyes, but acquiesced. “Fine. But no touching, or I’ll break whichever hand you used.” Elizabeth could tell despite his lascivious demeanor, he was all bark and no bite. He wouldn’t do anything without her consent, _that_ she was sure of.

He held up his hands with an over exaggerated look of innocence,”Why would I, a red blooded male, _ever_ want to touch a young, gorgeous, intelligent, incredibly…_powerful_ woman such as yourself? Be realistic here, please, Lizzie.”

That got a laugh out of her, and she could see the pleased glint in Alan’s eye. “I’ll give you that one, Mr. Shore.”

“Lizzie, I must insist you call me Alan if we’re going to be seeing each other like this on a regular basis.”

She smiled and inclined her head,”Alright, Alan, now that we’ve got that settled, I’ve got some more questions for you.”

Elizabeth shifted in her seat before asking him a few more questions about Ferrion’s personality and habits. She managed to get a pretty good profile of the man, but nothing that could give them any substantial clues as to who might be doing this.

Standing from her seat she said,”Thank you for your help, Mr. Shore. I may need you to come down to the Bureau within the next couple of days. Some of the other agents might have some questions for you as well.”

“Hmmm, and would I be able to see you again? I’d hate to go _all_ the way down there and not run into you.”

Elizabeth’s lips quirked up,”We’ll see.”

“Well then, at least let me walk you out,” He offered, moving past her and opening the door.

“Thank you,” she said.

The two walked side by side through the building, eventually reaching the exit.

Alan turned to face her and asked,”Would you perhaps like to go out to dinner with me? I can promise you, my intentions are honorable. I won’t try anything.”

She regarded him curiously. He was telling the truth, it just didn’t make sense. Alan Shore wasn’t the type of man to go on dates without any expectations of what was to come afterwards. He was a one night stand type of man, perhaps occasionally interested in a relationship, although it was no doubt one used purely for the more physical side of things.

But there was something about him. He was funny; it felt nice to laugh especially when she had a job that weighed so heavily on her conscience. Besides, he was intelligent, witty, and from his record of cases, had incredibly strong morals. All in all, she liked him. It wouldn’t hurt to indulge just a bit.

“Sure, Alan. I’ll go out to dinner with you. You have my number. Let me know when and where.” With that, she turned and left the office.

Alan smiled to himself, shaking his head in wonder. This woman was going to be a handful.

XXXXXXXXXXX

“What’s got you so happy?” Denny asked, taking a seat on the balcony.

Alan glanced over at him, taking a puff of his cigar.

“Oh…” Denny said, eyebrows raised,”you’ve met a girl. Is she pretty?”

Alan laughed,”She’s beautiful, Denny. And intelligent, graceful, strong…” He took and drink of his scotch, gazing out past the balcony. “She’s an FBI agent. A profiler. She interviewed me today about Bernard. Apparently she’s trying to find the copycat.”

“Mmm, I bet you could make good use of those handcuffs.” Denny looked over to his friend, eyes widening,”Did you?”

Alan rolled his eyes,”Stop it, Denny. I’m serious. I like this girl. She’s different. She didn’t take any shit from me today. Actually, I think she enjoyed my flirting. You should have seen her laugh, Denny. Her whole face just lit up and her smile…my god, it was just splendid.”

Denny let out a heavy sigh and took a large sip of his scotch. “You sound like a man in love, Alan. I think I should meet this girl; make it clear that she can’t come between us.”

Alan rolled his eyes,”Oh please, you know that would never happen. And I’m not introducing her to _you _yet. You’d probably just scare her off. And I’m not in love with her, Denny. We just met today. All I’m trying to say is that there’s something about her that draws me in. You know I don’t do _love. _I always leave.”

“Then what’s the point, man? Why get yourself involved if you know in the end it won’t work out?”

“Because there’s always the chance it will,” Alan replied, gaze fixating on the Boston skyline.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Alan texted Liz the next day.

_Are you available for dinner tonight around 8? -Alan_

_That depends on whether or not we’re talking somewhere fancy. I’d have to come straight from work. -Liz_

Alan smiled to himself and texted her the name of the pub he had in mind. He felt giddy; a feeling unfamiliar to him since his school days.

She confirmed their dinner and Alan grinned wider than he had in months. This woman could be very, _very_ bad for him.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Alan was seated at a table hidden away in a corner of the pub. It was busy and lively, despite the fact that it was a Tuesday night. He wanted to have at least a little privacy.

He was shaken out of his reverie by the figure approaching him determinedly. He smiled as he saw Elizabeth walking towards him and stood from his seat to greet her.

“Lizzie, you look beautiful,” he said warmly, pressing a friendly, chaste kiss to her cheek.

“Oh stop it, Alan. I look like a hot mess.”

“Oh, definitely hot, and things could certainly get messy,” he said with a smirk as he pulled out her chair.

She laughed. “You’re incorrigible.”

He took a seat across from her and poured her a glass of wine. “So, how was work today? Did you catch any bad guys?”

“Hmm, sadly nothing that exciting. I was stuck pushing papers all day. How about you? Any exciting trials you’d like to tell me about?” She took a sip of her wine and leaned forward, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

“Nothing that interesting. Just a domestic dispute case.” He paused and said smugly,”Which I won, of course.”

“What are your intentions, Alan?” She asked abruptly. “I know you’re not the type of man to woo a woman. You’d much prefer for them to just come home with you for a night. So why all of this?” She gestured around them.

His eyebrows shot up, a bit surprised by her question. “Why, you sure do move fast.” He sobered a bit and said more seriously,”I don’t really know, to be honest. You’re right, I’m usually not the type to go for a relationship. But I like you. You don’t let me push you around. And I’m sick of being alone. I mean, I’ll always have Denny, but he can’t exactly give me everything I need in a relationship.” He said the last part with a smile.

“Who’s Denny?” Elizabeth asked curiously. Whoever he was, it was obvious he was dear to Alan.

“Oh, he’s my best friend. Denny Crane. Named partner, obviously. We’re very close. It’s a bit hard to explain, but I love the man very much.”

Elizabeth nodded,”Alright. Well, you’ll have to introduce me to him. I’d like to meet this mysterious man that you hold in such high regard.”

Alan looked a bit wary. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Denny can come on a bit strong sometimes. I think it would be best to postpone that particular introduction until we’ve gone on a few more dates.”

“Oh, so you intend on taking me out again?”

“Without a doubt. I told you I was interested. I’d like to see where this goes.”

They ordered their meals and chatted amiably. Alan sent Elizabeth into several fits of hysterical laughter as he recounted some of his adventures with Denny. Those two were quite a pair.

Likewise, Elizabeth held Alan’s attention by telling him some of her more interesting and gripping tales from the field.

All too soon it was time for their date to come to an end.

“Well, I’d better head home. I’ve got to get up bright and early for work tomorrow,” Elizabeth said, finishing the last sip of her wine.

“Yes, I don’t want to keep you out too late. Would it be too soon if we went out again Friday?”

“Not at all. I’ve enjoyed myself tonight, Alan, so thank you. It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed like that.”

He smiled and inclined his head. “I will try to make you laugh often, then. You’re so beautiful when you do.” He stood and helped her out of her seat, then assisted her with her coat and moved her hair from under the collar. His gaze met hers and he found himself entranced by her beauty.

“May I kiss you?” He’d never asked a woman that before, but he felt compelled to in the moment.

Elizabeth reached up, her hand cupping his cheek, and pulled him down. Their lips met in a soft, chaste kiss. Alan closed his eyes and sighed, his lips moving slowly against hers. They both pulled apart after a few moments, Elizabeth’s eyes shining with glee.

“See you Friday night, Alan.”


	2. Surprise, Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth encounters a few surprises during her stay in Boston.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Finally another update. Sorry for the delay, life has been a bit busy lately. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy. As always, let me know what you think; I love reading comments!

It was Thursday; only one more day until she would see Alan again. Friday couldn’t come quick enough.

Elizabeth was holed up in her hotel room, going through file after file. It was boring work, but necessary. It was getting late, though, and she’d need to go to bed soon so she could stay up later tomorrow night.

She forced herself out of bed to get a glass of water and sighed when she saw there was no more ice left. Grabbing the bucket, she made her way out into the hallway and towards the ice machine.

Of course, someone was using it. Hopefully, they wouldn’t say anything. She had a headache and didn’t want to talk. As she neared the man, recognition quickly dawned on her.

“Alan?” She blurted out, surprise coloring her tone.

The man whipped around, eyes wide with surprise. “Elizabeth? My god, what are the odds?”

“What are you doing here?” She asked, a bit confused.

“I live here,” he stated as if it should be obvious.

“You…you live in a hotel?” Now she _really_ was confused.

“Yes, well, it’s much more convenient for my lifestyle.” He turned back to finish getting his ice.

Elizabeth moved closer to him, resting her hand on his back. “I didn’t mean to sound condescending. I don’t have a problem with it, Alan. I’m just shocked to see you.”

He cleared his throat. “Well, I would imagine you probably find it a bit odd.”

“It is, but it’s not that surprising considering it’s _you_ we’re talking about. Besides, it makes things much more convenient.”

He turned his head to look at her,”Hmmm, I suppose it does. Want to come back to my room?”

She slapped his shoulder playfully,”Oh be quiet. You’ll have to wait a little longer for that.”

He raised his eyebrows,”Oh, so you’re planning on it, then? Mind telling me when I should expect you?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “We’ve only been on one date. I’ll need you to take me on at least a few more.”

“Hmm, well I’m free Saturday and Sunday as well. That would make it four dates. Is that enough?”

She laughed and swooped down to kiss his cheek. “You’re lucky I like you.”

“That I am. But I’m serious. You could come back to my room and have a drink.”

“I think I will, actually. I’ve been going through case files all day and could use a break. My head is killing me and my neck is stiff from looking down so much.” As if proving her point, she craned her neck, resulting in a satisfying pop.

The two walked back to Alan’s room, which as it turns out was only four down from her own. It was a suite, and was really more like a small apartment than a hotel room.

“Take a seat,” Alan said, gesturing to the living area. Elizabeth sat down and jumped slightly when she felt Alan’s hands come down on her shoulders.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“You said your neck was stiff. I’m helping.”

Elizabeth relaxed into his hold, a small sigh escaping her lips as his hands kneaded her tender muscles. This was exactly what she needed. All of the day’s stress seemed to just melt away.

Alan was taking great pleasure in what he was doing. The little gasps and sighs leaving her lips were driving him crazy. He couldn’t resist any longer and bent down, trailing his lips along the exposed column of her neck.

“Alan,” she protested in a breathy whisper. “Alan stop. I told you not tonight.”

He reluctantly pulled away. “I’m sorry, Lizzie. I just couldn’t resist. I won’t push you. No matter how many comments I might make, we take this at your pace.”

She turned and looked at him, gaze locking with his. “I know. I trust you. Now, let’s have those drinks.”

He nodded and went over to the bar. “What would you like to have?”

“Surprise me,” she replied.

Alan came back a few moments later holding two tumblers of scotch. “This always relaxes me after a stressful day.”

Elizabeth gratefully took one of the tumblers and said,”You’re right. A stiff drink is just what I need.”

He opened his mouth to reply but Elizabeth quickly cut him off,”Don’t even think about making some snarky comment about my choice of wording, Alan”

He smirked and took a sip of his scotch, moving to sit in the chair across from her. “You’ve got to let me have my fun, Lizzie. You know I’m no good at being polite.”

“Believe me, I’m well aware. But that’s one of the things I like about you. You know, I read some of the transcripts of your cases, and in each of your closings, I could tell how passionate you were about the topic at hand. You said what needed to be said regardless of whether or not it was ‘polite’ given the setting. I admire that.”

He looked pleased with himself. “I wish every judge and jury viewed it the same way you do. Sometimes my other personality traits get in the way.”

“Such as…” she asked.

“My arrogance, smugness, flirtatiousness, and overall disregard for authority.”

Elizabeth let out a long laugh. “I’m really glad I met you, Alan. Boston would be unbearably boring if we hadn’t crossed paths.”

He smiled to himself, hiding it by taking another swig of his drink. She was entirely too optimistic about him, but he supposed he didn’t mind. Not many people thought highly of him. It was nice to have someone around that did.

Several glasses of scotch later, it was late even by Alan’s standards. Tomorrow, well _today_, technically, was their date, and he wanted to be able to stay up just as they had tonight.

“I’d hate to bring this night to an end, but I think it’s in both of our best interests if we go to bed.”

Elizabeth frowned, more than a little inebriated. She’d always been a bit of a lightweight. “I don’t want to go back to my room yet. It’s so lonely. Besides, I don’t feel like moving all of the case files off my bed.”

Alan sighed, and offered,”Well I suppose you can stay here. I’ll sleep on the couch and you can take the bed.”

He stood and went over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of boxers and a white undershirt. “Here, you can change into these.”

He tossed them to Elizabeth and then grabbed himself a set. “Knock when you’re done,” he said, going into the bathroom to change.

After several fumbling attempts, Elizabeth managed to change out of her clothes and into his. She knocked on the bathroom door and then stumbled towards the bed, falling onto it gracelessly. Alan came out and looked at her in amusement. “You don’t drink much, do you?”

She groaned and replied,”Only a glass of wine every now and then. Now come get in bed and tuck me in. I’m cold and lonely.”

He huffed and shook his head in disbelief. “Bossy woman.”

Climbing in beside her, he pulled the covers over them both. “Now try not to get too handsy with me tonight. I’d like to keep my innocence intact.”

She snorted and closed her eyes, yawning as she said,”You won’t have to worry about that. I’m too tired to try anything.”

Elizabeth reached out, her hand finding his waist. She pulled herself against him, snuggling into his chest, and was asleep within seconds. Alan held his breath and wondered what he had done to deserve this moment. She was out of his league by a mile, yet she had chosen him. Soon, he too drifted off to sleep, his night terrors warded off by the woman beside him.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Elizabeth woke up the next morning feeling more refreshed than she had in months. Warmer, too. As the sleepy haze that gripped her finally faded away, she realized that she was still being held tightly in Alan’s embrace, said man still sleeping soundly beside her. She smiled as she glanced up at him. He looked so vulnerable in his sleep; the stress lines on his face smoothed over and a peaceful half-smile graced his lips.

Elizabeth shifted in his arms, trying to slip out of his embrace without waking him. He groaned in response and tightened his arms around her, drawing her more snuggly against him. She huffed and tried to wiggle out of his grip, but it was no use. Even in his sleep, he was stubborn.

“Alan,” she whispered softly,”you need to let me up. I have to go to work soon.”

His eyes slowly fluttered open and he looked disoriented as she came into focus. His grip on her loosened. “Lizzie? What…”

She laughed and kissed his cheek,”I tried to get up without waking you but all you did was pull me closer.” Climbing out of her bed she searched for her clothes and was relieved to see her keycard was still in her back pocket. She went into the bathroom and came back dressed in yesterday’s clothes, setting his on the bedside table.

“I’ll see you tonight. I’ll stop by at 7.” she said, leaning over and pecking his lips before going back to her room.

Alan flopped back down onto the bed and groaned, his eyes focused on the door.

**XXXXXXXXX**

At promptly seven o’clock Alan heard a knock on his door. He quickly opened it, unable to do anything but stare as he took in the sight of Elizabeth.

She was wearing a red dress that reached just past her knees, black flats, and silver earrings. The dress clung to her in all the right places but still remained modest. In short, she looked stunning.

“You look beautiful, Elizabeth. Truly. I’ll be the envy of every man tonight,” Alan complimented, pressing a quick peck to her lips.

She blushed and responded,”You don’t look too bad yourself. I always have liked a man in a suit. Lucky for me you’re a lawyer.”

He chuckled and held her hand in his, stepping out of his room. “Indeed. Now, I hope you like Italian because I’m taking you to the best place in Boston.”

They took a cab and arrived at the restaurant in good time. Just from a quick glance, Elizabeth could tell this place was fancy. From the storefront window, she could see tables darned in very fine-looking linen table cloths; everything about the place screamed high society and wealth.

“I wouldn’t think you’d be one to frequent a place like this. You looked so comfortable back at the bar.”

“I’m a complex man,” he teased. “But in all seriousness, this place has some excellent food. I come here everyone and awhile if I have an important client. Or in this case, if I need to woo a beautiful woman.”

Elizabeth huffed and linked her arm through his. “Come on, smooth talker. Enough chit-chat. I’m starving.”

Alan’s lips curled up in amusement as the two walked inside arm-in-arm. Approaching the maître d’ he said,”Shore. Table for two.”

The other man scanned the list and nodded after finding his name. “Of course, right this way.”

They followed him through the restaurant and Elizabeth found herself pleasantly surprised when they were seated in an intimate table near the back. It was more isolated than all the rest which afforded them some much-wanted privacy.

“How did you get a table like this?” She asked.

Alan shrugged. “I may or may not have cleared the owner of embezzlement charges, so he may or may not be in my debt.”

She shook her head,”Of course you did. I don’t even know why I asked.” Her gaze wandered to the other tables, noticing the other couples chatting politely with one another, if not a bit reserved. Her gaze flickered over to the table in the adjacent corner and what she saw nearly paralyzed her with fear.

Tom.


	3. A Night Ruined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alan and Elizabeth's dinner doesn't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, once again, for the delay. My schedule should be clearing up now, so I'm crossing my fingers that I can start getting chapters up once a week if not more. I don't know if I've said this in previous notes, but I don't own the Blacklist or Boston Legal, nor do I make any money from this. As always, let me know what you think and enjoy!

Elizabeth had been engaged to Tom for nearly a year and a half before calling it off. When they’d first met, he had been the sweetest, gentlest man she’d ever encountered. He took her on countless romantic dates and bought her flowers at least once a month.

He was the textbook boyfriend, and after two years of dating, he had proposed. Of course, she had eagerly accepted it.

It was after the proposal that things started going downhill. Suddenly, he was away at conferences nearly every other weekend. But worse, his temper started to show. If Elizabeth was too busy at work to return in time for dinner, he would yell at her when she got home until his face was red and his voice was hoarse.

If the laundry wasn’t done he would throw it in her face and demand she do it.

If she was gone on a case for too long, he would accuse her of having an affair, his hands gripping her wrists so hard they left bruises as he interrogated her.

It was when he hit her that she realized she needed to leave.

One night she had returned home well after the sun had set, feeling exhilarated and proud after successfully profiling a wanted arsonist.

Tom had decided that she was off seeing one of her supposed lovers, and had taken to drinking a few too many beers. As soon as she stepped through the door, he ambushed her. False accusations rang out harshly as he shook her. When she’d opened her mouth to try to calm him, his hand met her cheek with a harsh crack.

Both of them had stood there, stunned. Elizabeth’s training kicked in and she had quickly drawn her weapon, pointing it unflinchingly at him as she told him to pack his things and leave.

He left.

But not really.

She would see him every so often and knew he was stalking her. But she didn’t want to waste the time or money trying to get a restraining order. No, as long as he didn’t approach her, she would let it be.

She was startled out of her reverie by a warm hand resting over hers.

“Are you alright, Lizzie? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“What? Oh. No, it’s nothing. I’m fine,” she muttered unconvincingly.

“Mmmhmm. Now how about we try that again? And this time tell me the truth.”

She sighed, looking down at the napkin in her lap. “It’s a long story, Alan.”

“We’ve got plenty of time,” he countered.

“Look, I don’t want to talk about it. You…I don’t need you thinking I’m some psychopath. My history is a little…complicated.”

“Elizabeth, I can promise you that whatever it is you don’t want to tell me cannot possibly be the craziest thing I’ve heard. I’m an attorney for Christ’s sake; I know a psychopath when I see one.”

She fiddled with the napkin in her lap, debating on whether or not she should bring it up. She was irritated, though not at him. It just pissed her off that Tom would have the nerve to follow her here.

Deciding that it would do no good to her past from him, she looked up and began to explain. She told him everything that had happened with Tom and then took a deep breath. “And the reason why I look so terrified right now is that he’s sitting at the table in the adjacent corner. He…he’s stalked me ever since I ended things with him, but I don’t have the time nor money to file for a restraining order.”

Alan turned his head, his gaze immediately fixating on Tom. “Well lucky for you, you’re dating a lawyer. Any man desperate enough to hit a woman deserves to be locked up. Especially my woman.”

Normally Elizabeth would give a man an earful for trying to claim her, but with Alan, she found that she liked the possessive pitch of his voice and the way his eyes darkened.

“There’s no need for that. He’s harmless, and I can defend myself if he tries anything. I do have a gun, you know.”

“On you?” Alan asked.

She laughed,”Of course not. I’m off duty.”

“Either way, this isn’t okay, Lizzie. He needs to be punished for what he’s done to you. I’m not going to let him get away with stalking you, least of all hurting you. I know that it might not seem like I take my job seriously, but I am _very_ good at what I do. I can promise that Tom will never be allowed near you again. Now if you’ll excuse me for a moment,” he said as he stood from his chair.

“What are you doing?” Liz asked.

“I’m going to make sure that we can enjoy the rest of our evening.”

“Alan, don’t. Just leave him be,” she whispered in an urgent tone.

Alan ignored her and approached the man. “Excuse me, but I do believe Elizabeth has made it quite clear that she never wants to see you again. Funny that you should show up here in Boston, don’t you think? Luckily for the both of you, I happen to be a lawyer, and I can assure you that this little incident right here is textbook stalking, so I suggest you leave.”

Tom scowled,”Who do you think you are, pal? Last time I checked, this is a public restaurant. Nothing wrong with me being here.”

“There is if the woman you abused is trying to have a nice dinner with the man she is seeing, but finds that dinner interrupted by her abuser.”

Tom narrowed his eyes,”She’s fucking _you_?”

Alan smirked,”I don’t know if I’d be that crass, but I can assure you it’s me she’s thinking of at night.”

Tom stood suddenly, his chair tipping over in his haste. “Listen here, _pal. _I could kick your ass until you’re nothing but a bloody, crying mess. Elizabeth is _mine_. She belongs to me. So I suggest you get your ass out of here. _Now.”_

Alan stood unflinchingly, his gaze locked with the man before him. “Did you not hear the part where I said I was a lawyer? If you lay a hand on me that opens up a whole new line of offenses. You’ll be spending a very, _very_ long time in prison if you touch me. _That_, you can be assured of.”

Tom clenched his fists, ready to punch Alan, but Elizabeth had already made her way over to the table.

“Tom, stop this right now. Why won’t you leave me alone?”

“Because I love you, Liz. What happened that night was a mistake. I was drunk and lonely and didn’t know what I was doing. I just want another chance. Please, Liz, just let me show you.”

A noise of disgust sounded from Elizabeth and she quickly looped her arm through Alan’s. “The only man I’m interested in is standing next to me, and I can tell you right now that he would _never_ hit me under _any_ circumstances.”

Alan moved his arm, wrapping it firmly around her waist and pulling her close to his side. “Let’s go, Lizzie. We can enjoy ourselves elsewhere.” He tugged her waist and pulled her away from Tom.

“You won’t get rid of me this easily, Liz! You _will_ forgive me!” She heard Tom shout as they walked away.

As soon as they were out of the restaurant she put some distance between herself and Alan. “I can take a separate cab. I’m so sorry you had to see that. Really, I never meant for any of this to happen.”

Alan shook his head and let out an abrupt laugh. “Lizzie, I told you I wasn’t going to think you’re crazy and I don’t. You are such a strong woman and I can only imagine how hard it is for you to know that man is constantly following you. And no, we are not taking separate cabs. We are going to go back to our hotel, go up to my room, have a few drinks, and order room service. And we’re going to enjoy it, okay?”

She looked at him with a mixture of awe and wonder. Any other man would have tucked tail and ran as far away from her as possible. But not Alan Shore. No, Alan Shore was unlike any other man she’d ever met. He had embraced the confrontation and stood by her side through the whole ordeal. He really was something.

“Okay,” she replied, moving back towards him. “Thank you for sticking up for me in there.” She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, letting out a shaky exhale.

XXXXXXXXX

As soon as they were back in his hotel room, Elizabeth flopped down on the couch with an exasperated sigh. Tonight had not gone as planned and she felt horrible about it. Why was she always so unlucky?

“Lizzie, stop thinking so much. You know I’m not going to run away.”

Alan came over and sat next to her, propping her feet up on his lap and taking her shoes off.

She sighed as his fingers began to massage the tender arches of her feet. “Just calm down. I know you must be a little rattled after everything that happened. You’re more than welcome to stay the night. In fact…I think would prefer that.”

“Alan, I can protect myself. I don’t need you to watch over me.”

“Of course I know that. But it still doesn’t change the fact that I’m worried about you. You’re being stalked, Elizabeth. No matter what you might think, you’re in danger.”

“I appreciate the concern. Really, I do. But you need to understand that I can take care of myself. Remember, I’m the one with the gun, ” she argued back stubbornly.

Alan could feel his irritation rising. Why couldn’t she just stay the night? It wasn’t a big deal and it would make him feel so much better about things.

“As I said before, I _know_ you can take care of yourself, but I still can’t shut down the primal urge I have to protect you. _You_ need to understand that I only have your best interest at heart.”

“Alan, I’m staying in my own room tonight. I’m not some weak, helpless woman,” she fired back in irritation.

“Then why did you let Tom abuse you?” He snapped, immediately regretting his words.

Her jaw clenched tight in anger and she quickly removed her feet from his lap. “You know what, I think I’ll just go back to my room now instead.” She grabbed her shoes and made her way towards the door.

“Lizzie, wait. I’m sor-“ his apology was cut off by the slamming of the door. He stared at it for several seconds, cursing himself for being such a prick. He could never keep that mouth of his shut when he needed to.

Elizabeth stormed back to her room and threw her shoes on the ground. Tears pooled in her eyes but she kept them at bay. She wouldn’t cry over Alan Shore. If he wanted to be an asshole, that was fine. It wasn’t like she owed him anything; they had only known each other for a short while anyway.

It’s not like they were _really_ in a relationship.

Thank god she hadn’t slept with him.

XXXXXXXXX

“I don’t know what to do, Denny,” Alan admitted as he paced back in forth in his room, phone held close to his ear.

“I really screwed up this time. I mean, she admitted something very painful and personal to me tonight, and then I had to go and throw it back in her face because I wasn’t getting my way!”

“Well, have you tried apologizing to her?” His friend asked.

“She stormed off before I could. Should I give her time to cool down or go to her room…?”

“I’d say just don’t worry about it. There’s plenty of other women out there, my friend, and you’ve only known this one for a little while.”

“You don’t understand, Denny. I really like her. We haven’t even had sex yet but I know-“

“What?! You haven’t slept with her yet? Or is she just frigid? I swear to god, Alan, she’s not worth your time if she won’t put o-“

“I suggest you stop talking now, Denny,” Alan said in a warning tone.

“Oh, I see. So you really do have feelings for her. Hmmm, well, I’d try to go down to her room. Maybe bring a bottle of wine and some flowers. Women like those. Then get her into bed and everything will be fine.”

Alan rolled his eyes,”I don’t know _why_ I thought it would be a good idea to call you for relationship advice when you obviously have no clue how to apologize to a woman. Goodbye, Denny.”

He hung up the phone and continued pacing, trying to figure out what he should do. Elizabeth didn’t seem like the ‘flowers and chocolates will make it all better’ type of woman. He’d need to be genuine, which was something he was entirely inexperienced with. But for her, he’d try.

Mustering up his courage, he grabbed a bottle of wine from the counter and confidently strode to her room.

She answered on the fifth knock.

“Oh. It’s you. Go away, Alan.”

He held up the bottle of wine and stopped the closing door with his free hand.

“I’ve come to apologize, Elizabeth. Please, may I come inside.”

She huffed and shook her head. “No, you may not. A bottle of wine and a half-assed apology isn’t going to get you anywhere. I opened up to you tonight, and when you didn’t get your way you used it against me. I refuse to be in a relationship with a man who makes me feel poorly about myself. I’ve already done it once and I have no intention of going through it again.”

Alan frowned and mulled over what she had said. The fact that she thought he could be like Tom hurt more deeply than he would have liked. Normally he would have given up by now. Women usually weren’t important enough for him to try to keep, much less apologize to.

“I’m trying to be sincere, Lizzie. I really am. If you don’t want to be with me, fine, but I don’t want you thinking I’m anything like…like that _monster_ who beat you. I couldn’t possibly hurt you in that way.”

Her shoulders relaxed a bit and she looked down towards his feet.

“I know,” she said quietly, voice barely above a whisper. “I just…it’s hard for me to be vulnerable with people. After Tom, I didn’t want to open up to anyone. I told myself it would be best to just focus on my work because obviously it wasn’t the right time for me to settle down. And then I met you and you were so…so unexpected and strange.”

She huffed out a laugh to herself and continued,”You were everything that Tom wasn’t. Where he was sweet and cautious, you were crass and bold. He tried to woo me and I could tell the first thing you did when you saw me was think of ways to get me into bed.’

Liz looked up at him and Alan started,”For your information, sex was only the _first_ thing that came to mind. I promise my thoughts were much more innocent after that.”

He smiled wryly and she chuckled,”I really should still be mad at you right now but then you have to go and make me laugh.”

A sigh escaped her and she moved out of the doorway. “I suppose you’d better come in. Although I’ll warn you ahead of time that my room’s a mess. There are papers everywhere.”

“I don’t mind. As long as the bed is clear,” he answered with a wink.


	4. Hotel Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alan and Elizabeth continue their date in her hotel room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I posted this three days ago but apparently it didn't upload. Oh well. As always, let me know what you think and enjoy!

Alan sat next to Elizabeth on her bed, his gaze roaming around the hotel room. It wasn’t as lavish as his suite, and she wasn’t exaggerating when she said it was a mess. There were papers covering practically every surface of the room.

“Have you made any breakthroughs with your case yet?” He inquired curiously.

“No,” she said, a bit defeated. “Something is missing but I don’t know what it is. I can’t find that connecting factor between the original and the copy yet. I’m stuck.”

He held her hand, his thumb running along the back of hers. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Sometimes you just have to be patient. I’ve had cases I thought I was sure to lose but then important evidence turned up last minute and changed the whole trajectory of the trial. I’m sure it’s just a matter of waiting.”

“I know. I just feel like I’m not looking at it the right way. Something doesn’t feel right.” Suddenly her stomach rumbled and Alan smiled.

“Would you like to order that room service now? The pasta here is magnificent.”

Liz nodded and snatched the menu from the bedside table. “How about fettuccini alfredo? You can never go wrong with that.”

Alan agreed and Elizabeth ordered their meal along with a bottle of wine. Their food came quickly and Elizabeth moved a small table to the side of the bed. They ate in companionable silence for a while.

“Well, this isn’t exactly the most romantic setting.”

“Believe me, I’ve been on worse dates than this,” Alan replied.

“Oh yeah? I’d like to hear about one if you don’t mind.”

He glanced over at her, eyebrow quirked up. “Are you sure you can handle it? I’m not exactly proud of this particular decision.”

“Let me hear it.”

“Okay, well I’d like to preface this by saying that I may have been slightly inebriated at the time, so I wasn’t fully in control of my actions.” He cleared his throat and then continued,”After I had joined my first firm, I decided to invite a particularly…enticing client out for dinner. We went to a local bar and may or may not have had too much to drink. We started talking very loudly and began to engage in a rather heated…encounter.”

He glanced over to see Elizabeth staring at him with narrowed eyes. Hmm, so maybe he shouldn’t go into too much detail about that part of the evening.

Switching gears he continued,“Anyways, the manger came over and asked us to leave because we were being disruptive. We asked for our meal to go and ended up eating it in the alley next to the bar.”

He turned again and saw Elizabeth smiling in amusement.

“You might be the strangest man I’ve ever met.”

He laughed and squeezed her hand, looking down at their entwined fingers. “How did you get the scar?”

“Oh, I was in a fire when I was little. I don’t remember much of what happened, but I know a man pulled me out and saved my life.”

Alan traced along the scar and brought her hand up to his lips. “I wish you hadn’t had to have gone through that,” he mumbled against her skin.

“It’s alright. I hardly remember it.” She answered, leaning her head against his shoulder.

“You should bring whatever evidence you have to my office tomorrow and I can look it over. It’ll give me a break from whatever mind numbingly dull tasks Shirley will have assigned me.”

“I thought you just messed around with Denny the whole time. You know, you really do have to introduce the two of us. I’d like to meet the man who you’re so enamored with.”

Alan hummed in thought. “Perhaps sometime.”

“Why are you so reluctant to introduce us. He can’t be any worse than you so what’s the big deal?”

“Oh believe me, if you think I come on strong…” he trailed off and shook his head, smiling to himself. “One of the first things he asked me when I told him you were an FBI agent was if I had made use of your handcuffs. Honestly, the man has no filter and absolutely no shame. He’ll try to get you into his bed as soon as he lays eyes on you.”

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in amusement,”Oh, you mean like _you_? I think I can handle him, Alan.”

He snorted,”Not Denny. I may be a womanizer but that man is a machine like no other. Besides, I don’t like the idea of him…_flirting_ with you. Because I know he will even though I saw you first.”

“You know, I don’t mind you being a bit possessive but I’m not an object. Stop being so insecure. I’m with you and that’s all that matters. I don’t care if Brad Pitt walks through the door; I’m not interested in anyone else.”

“Fine, you can meet him when you come in tomorrow. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. I don’t want any complaints.”

“Hmph, fine.” She smirked and said,”As unromantic as this dinner is, are you at least enjoying yourself more than you did with that alley-woman?”

“Oh is that what they’re calling them now? I always preferred the term escort.”

Elizabeth playfully slapped his shoulder and he was quick to amend,”But to answer your question, yes, Lizzy, I am.”

He cupped her cheek and shifted so he was facing towards her before leaning down to press his lips to hers. She sighed happily and returned the kiss, quickly becoming consumed by his passion.

As their kiss grew in intensity, Elizabeth moved so she was straddling his lap. He let out a quiet groan and grasped her hips, pulling her closer.

“I want you,” he whispered as he pulled away, only to begin placing open-mouth kisses along the smooth column of her neck.

Liz flushed and gripped his shoulders, feeling her arousal spike at his words. Was she ready to sleep with him? Her body was giving her an enthusiastic yes, yet there was a nagging in the back of her mind telling her to slow things down. She chose to ignore it, the pull of the moment too strong for her to resist.

“You have me,” she breathed out in response, grinding down on his lap in an attempt to relieve the dull ache that had begun to build between her legs.

Alan’s response was immediate. He lifted her off his lap and flipped them so she was beneath him, her head resting on one of the pillows. His gaze raked over her as he tried to steady his breathing. It was unlike him to get so worked up from only some light petting. He hadn’t reacted to a woman like this since Lorraine, but now wasn’t the time to think of her.

Loosening his tie, he threw it away from the bed and opened the first few buttons of his shirt. Elizabeth reached up and ran her hand over the exposed skin of his chest, her fingers carding through his chest hair. Her hand slid up to grip the collar of his shirt, which she used to pull him back down.

Their lips met in another fiery kiss, tongues fighting for dominance and teeth occasionally clacking together.

Liz pulled back to suck in a much needed breath of air, clenching her thighs together as she took in his disheveled appearance.

“I need you now, Alan. We can do slow and gentle later.”

He nodded in agreement, hand immediately working to remove his belt. Once it was off, he lifted her hips and tugged off her pajama bottoms none-too-gently. After a few fumbling attempts, he managed to drag down his zipper and free himself from his boxers.

Elizabeth bit her lip and tentatively touched his cock, pumping it experimentally.

A choked gasp sounded from Alan and she gave him a pleased smile.

“Let’s see if your womanizing ways have taught you anything.”

He looked at her with a hooded gaze, his eyes dark with desire. Choosing not to answer, he covered her lips with his and positioned himself at her entrance.

Christ she was wet. If she got this turned on from merely kissing, he couldn’t wait to see how she felt once he took his time with her.

His hands clasped her hips tightly as he surged forward, burying himself deep within her in one smooth thrust.

“Oh!” She exclaimed breathily as a pleasant fullness came over her.

“Jesus, you feel good,” Alan rumbled from above her. He rocked his hips a few times, making sure that she was adjusted to him.

Liz impatiently squirmed beneath him, her hips giving him a silent signal to move.

Finally he rocked back, only to thrust into her once more. He began a steady, hard rhythm. The sound of their flesh meeting filled the small hotel room, the springs of the bed creaking slightly from their passion.

Liz clutched at his back as he moved, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.

“Faster,” she pleaded, wrapping her legs around his hips.

Alan moaned, low and deep, as he slipped into her even deeper. His hips surged forward, snapping against her own as he picked up his pace.

Liz clenched around him as her orgasm began to build, the familiar tightening of her stomach already setting in.

Alan could sense that she was close and moved one of his hands down to circle her clit. She writhed beneath him and cried out, her grip on his shirt tightening.

“That’s it,” he praised. “Let go, Lizzy. I want to feel you fall apart around me.”

She gasped and fell over the edge at the sound of his words. Her world exploded into ecstasy as he continued to pleasure her, guiding her through the aftershocks of her orgasm.

Liz gripped around him like a vice, and Alan could do no more but thrust deep inside of her as he too fell over the edge.

He called out her name, though it was more akin to a whispered plea.

They both laid there for a few moments, trying to catch their breath.

Alan was the first to move; rolling off of her and pulling her close. She hummed in contentment and nuzzled into his chest.

His lips curved upwards, an unfamiliar feeling of true affection washing over him. While he was never one to just get up and leave after sex, usually he wasn’t too keen on staying for long. Even with Tara, he had always felt a bit uneasy, despite his craving for her love and intimacy.

With Elizabeth he was left bereft of doubt. She soothed him in a way that no one else had; not even Denny. It scared him a bit that he was feeling so strongly for her having only known her for a very short time.

But he wasn’t going to run.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter. Let me know what you think!

Liz awoke the next morning to a comforting weight draped across her waist. She turned her head and smiled as she saw Alan still sound asleep behind her, his soft snores disrupting the silence of the room.

She shifted and attempted to stealthily remove herself from his embrace, only to have him tighten his hold on her as his eyes fluttered open.

“Morning,” he rasped, voice low and rough from sleep.

“Good morning. Did you sleep alright?” Liz asked.

He nodded and trailed kisses along her exposed shoulder. “Better than alright. I haven’t slept that soundly since I was a kid.”

She smiled and then breathed out a soft moan as his lips moved up to her neck. “Not this morning, Alan. I have to shower and get ready for work.”

“We can shower together. I promise I’ll behave myself,” he said in a very unconvincingly innocent tone.

Liz scoffed,”Oh I’m sure.” She paused, as if to consider his words and then replied slyly,”But now that you mention it, it would conserve water…”

He laughed and pecked her cheek, then threw back the covers and stood from the bed. “Come on then. Stop wasting time. I hear someone’s in a rush.”

She rolled her eyes and got out of bed with an irritated huff. Elizabeth might be many things, but a morning person was not one of them. Sometimes she wondered why she’d chosen to subject herself to the early morning schedule of an FBI agent.

Alan watched her with an amused smile, his gaze trailing over her nude form. She was simply exquisite; her soft curves, dark hair contrasted by her pale skin, big blue eyes.

“Stop ogling me, Alan,” she called over her shoulder as she strolled to the bathroom.

Alan smirked and followed her in, both of them quickly joining the other in the surprisingly spacious shower.

Strong hands wrapped around her waist as a pair of lips placed hot kisses along her jaw.

“I thought you said you’d behave yourself,” Elizabeth said a bit breathily.

“Mmmm,” he hummed against her skin,”I just couldn’t resist. Don’t you want to have a bit of fun before you go into work? I remember reading somewhere that more orgasms lead to better performance in the workplace.” He pulled her back until her bottom was pressed against him. She could feel his cock against her lower back; hard and insistent.

As much as she wanted a repeat performance of last night, she would be late for work if she didn’t get out of the shower within the next five minutes.

“We can test that theory tomorrow. I’ve got more important things to do right now.” Liz turned in his arms and kissed him affectionately, pulling away before things became too passionate.

XXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth stopped by the firm near the end of the day. She had followed up on some leads but they turned out to be dead ends. She walked into Alan’s office and dumped her armload of files onto his desk.

“I believe you requested all the evidence I’ve collected. Here’s what I have so far. If you want to sort through it all and try to make any connections that I haven’t, be my guest.” She plopped down in the chair across from his desk and let out a sigh of exhaustion.

Alan looked up from the paperwork he was reviewing, his eyes widening. “I didn’t realize you’d collected this much. How can you not have drawn some sort of conclusion by now? I mean, my god, this is more than twice the amount most of my cases have.”

“Well excuse me for coming up short,” she said in agitation. “If you’re so smart why don’t you just figure it all out?”

“Relax, Lizzy. I didn’t mean to offend you. I just wasn’t expecting…this,” he said, motioning to the pile of files. “I’ll look it over later. Now, I believe you wanted to meet Denny?”

“Yes, that would be wonder-“

“Alan,” came a gruff voice from behind her. “I need your help. Shirley’s been-“ The man stopped talking as soon as Elizabeth turned around. “Well, hello. I’m Denny. Denny Crane.”

“Denny, this is Lizzy,” Alan said, eyeing the man cautiously.

“Oh, so you’re Alan’s girl? Well, I have to say that he really outdid himself this time. How’d he manage to get a girl like you? Have you two slept together yet?”

“Denny!” Alan exclaimed in exasperation.

The man ignored him and continued,”If Alan ever fails to satisfy you, I’m always available.”

Alan’s cheek twitched and he stood from his desk. “That’s enough, Denny. Get out of my office. Now.”

“Oh come on. Quit being so damn possessive. We’ve both had the same woman before. I don’t see why-“

“Shut up!” Alan yelled, coming around to stand directly in front of Denny. “Elizabeth is mine and you will not touch her. In fact, you will not even look in her direction unless you’d like your mad cow to be the least of your worries. Do you understand me, Denny?”

The older man stood perfectly still, gazing unflinchingly at Alan. Then he broke into a grin and said jovially,”Oh, I’d never thought I’d see the day when you’d fall in love, Alan. Just make sure she doesn’t come between us, alright?” He glanced at Elizabeth and said,”Congratulations, Liz. You’ve managed to wrangle in the second biggest womanizer I know.”

“Is that right? And who’s the first?”

He chuckled and replied,”Myself of course. Now have fun you two." He looked pointedly at Alan and said, "I expect a sleepover soon. We have a lot to talk about.”

Alan was standing with his mouth agape as he took in the scene before him. He was a bit shocked and a little on edge. He hadn’t been expecting that response from Denny, nor from himself. Hardly ever was he this possessive over someone. Yet the instinct to…to claim her had taken over before he could give it much thought.

As soon as Denny left the room, Alan turned to Liz and said,”I apologize. I know you warned me earlier about being too possessive, but I couldn’t help it. And just so you know, Denny doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I promise I don’t make it a habit to-“

“It’s alright, Alan. Really. I see what you mean now about him. Besides, I found your jealousy to be…well, quite frankly, kind of hot.”

His eyebrows shot up at that statement. “Oh really? Shall I channel my inner caveman more often?”

“Hmm, not too much. But every once in a while is okay.”

He smirked and advanced on her, his hands coming around her hips as he hoisted her up onto his cluttered desk. “I’m feeling some very _primal _urges coursing through me right now.” His voice was low, almost gravelly, eyes darkened with lust.

Liz felt her breath catch in her throat. She’d never seen a man look at her that way before.

Before she could completely comprehend what was going on, Alan had his lips on her neck and his hand halfway up her blouse.

“You were quite the tease in the shower this morning. I’ve been plagued with thoughts of you all day with no way to relieve myself,” he whispered hotly in her ear.

She whimpered and clutched at his back, one hand sliding down to grasp the waistband of his trousers.

He nipped at the skin of her neck, soothing the sting with his tongue. “I’ve fantasized about taking you on my desk.”

Liz let out a soft moan and moved her hand to the front of his trousers, her fingers playing with the zipper.

Abruptly he pulled away, leaving her flushed and needy on his desk. “Sadly, I’ve got all this paperwork to go through. It seems as if my girlfriend needs help with a case.”

“If this is your idea of revenge, it isn’t funny.”

“Oh, I beg to differ. It’s _very_ amusing,”

She huffed and crossed her arms, eyes narrowing in irritation. “Maybe I’ll just take Denny up on his offer. On second thought, I did see a very attractive man when I was walking here. Tall, blonde, very athletic looking. I bet he’d take care of me.”

Alan clenched his jaw, the muscle below his eye twitching once again. He bit his tongue, not wanting to justify her teasing with an answer. Damn this green-eyed monster of his.


	6. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alan struggles with his circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally another chapter. Sorry to anyone who is still reading. As always, I hope you all enjoy!

Alan paced back and forth in front of his bed, hands clasped loosely behind his back. Lizzy was late. She was never late. They were supposed to go out to dinner tonight.

They’d been seeing each other now for almost two months. Liz had been assigned a partner to help her along with the case; Donald Ressler. He was as by-the-book as they came, but Elizabeth liked him well enough. It gave her some measure of relief to know that even he was having a difficult time cracking the case.

Liz and Alan hadn’t been able to see much of each other the past couple of days, both of them having been caught up in their work. But now Alan was growing irritated. It was eight-thirty, she was supposed to have been there a half-hour ago. Impatient, he went down to her room and knocked a bit too forcefully.

“Lizzy? It’s Alan. Remember we have dinner tonight.” He fell silent and leaned towards the door, listening for a reply. Several moments passed and he heard nothing from the other side.

“Lizzy?” He tried again, but still no response. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the keycard she had given him several weeks ago and let himself in. Her room was just as messy as usual, case files strewn about haphazardly and dirty clothes piled along the floor. But no Lizzy.

Going back to his room, he sat down on the bed and texted her.

_Where are you? We have dinner tonight, remember? Please try to come if you can, or at least let me know where you are._

Minutes passed, but no reply came. He flopped back onto the bed with a heavy sigh, running his hand down his face. Where in the hell could she be? She’d told him it would be a boring day of office work and now she was nowhere to be found.

Just as he was about to go to bed, having given up on waiting for her response, his phone rang.

He scrambled for his phone, hurriedly answering it. “Alan Shore.”

A polite female voice on the other line said,”Hello Mr. Shore. I’m calling from Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Elizabeth Keen has you on file as her emergency contact. She was brought in a few hours ago in critical condition but is expected to make a full recovery. She woke up briefly and asked for you. I am very sorry, Mr. Shore. Please come by as soon as you can.”

Alan’s mouth went dry but he managed to choke out,”I-I’ll be there,” before hanging up. He stood absolutely still, fear and worry paralyzing him. Here he was moping around, _angry_ with her, and she had been injured. He felt…responsible in a way. Like he should have been able to protect her. It was ridiculous, he knew, but nevertheless the thought crossed his mind.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, he rushed out to grab and cab and headed to the hospital.

When he arrived, he asked the front desk for her room number and was greeted by a stocky, blond-haired man standing outside of her door.

As Alan reached for the door the man stopped him. “Who are you?” He asked in a gruff voice.

Alan looked up at him, narrowing his eyes. “I’m Alan Shore. I wasn’t aware my Lizzy had a bodyguard. Now get out of my way.”

He pushed passed the man and entered the hospital room, nearly falling to his knees when he saw the state Elizabeth was in.

Her face was peppered with bruises. Her right eye was swollen shut and had turned a sickly shade of purple and green. Along her jaw was a long, yet shallow cut. As he grew closer, he saw that her left arm was suspended in a brace. Her torso was covered in a bandage and he could see the three points where she’d been shot.

He fell heavily into the chair by her bed, his breath coming out raggedly as he struggled to control his emotions. Despite knowing what her job entailed, he had never given it much thought nor considered just how much danger she put herself in on a daily basis. Reaching out, he gently took her hand in his and drew it up to his lips, holding it there to reassure himself that she would be okay.

“You rest now, Lizzy. I’ll be here when you wake up,” he told her, although really it was more of an affirmation to himself.

The night passed by slowly, as Alan was unable to get any sort of sleep. He sat, clutching Liz’s hand as he watched her. She could have died today. The thought caused a searing pain to scorch through his heart, and his throat tightened until his breathing came out in deep, shuddering breaths.

It was early morning; the sun was barely pushing its way past the horizon when he felt a twitching against his hand. Wide-eyed, his head snapped up and he let out a choked,”Lizzy? Lizzy, it’s Alan. Please wake up.”

Her eyes opened slowly, confusion and disorientation evident in her posture and manner. Her voice was dry, cracked from lack of water as she spoke,”W-what…? Where am I…?” Turning her head, she immediately relaxed once Alan came in to view. “What happened to me?”

He took a deep breath and explained everything. She looked a bit shocked and slightly confused. Her eyebrows drew together as she tried to recall just what had happened in the moments leading up to her attack.

“I…I can’t remember anything. All I know is that Ressler and I got an anonymous tip and went to investigate. We ended up at an old warehouse. I took point while Ressler went around the back. That’s all I remember.”

Alan nodded and squeezed her hand. “Thankfully you had Ressler with you. Otherwise, you could be-“ he cut himself off, unable to finish the sentence. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” he amended. “Well, at least you will be. I’m told you’re expected to make a full recovery.”

Liz looked relieved to hear it. She nodded, her eyelids growing heavy. “I’m tired, Alan. I think I’m going to sleep again. Please don’t stay here on my account. I’m sure you have plenty to do. I’ll let you know when I’m discharged.”

He opened his mouth to protest and she cut him off before he could even start,”Please, Alan. Don’t sit here and watch me like this. I appreciate that you came in, but I’ll be fine now. There’s no need to worry.”

XXXXXXXXX

“I just don’t know if I can do this, Denny,” he told the other man, taking a long draw from his cigar.

“Do what? I thought everything was going fine with you. You’ve got a great job…a _girl_.” The older man looked at him pointedly.

“That’s just it, Denny. I don’t know if I can…if I can be with her anymore.”

“Oh? What’s wrong with her? Not good in bed?”

“Jesus, Denny, no!” He sighed in exasperation and continued,”Last night we were supposed to go to dinner and she didn’t show. I thought she forgot but then I got a call from the hospital saying she had been severely injured. There were bruises all over her face, and she had been shot three times in the abdomen. I knew her job was dangerous, but I never thought I would have to acknowledge it.”

Denny sat silently, letting his friend vent his frustrations.

“When I got that call Denny…I’ve never felt like that before. It was like I was being slowly suffocated. My chest burned, I could hardly breathe. The worst part was there was nothing I could do about it. She puts herself in harm's way every day and there is nothing I can do to prevent her from being hurt. I hate feeling this way. I hate feeling so vulnerable. I just don’t know if I can continue this. I mean, what if…what if she dies? What will I do? I don’t think I could handle that.”

Denny took a sip of his scotch, contemplating what the other man had said. “You know, I’ve seen you go after countless women, Alan. I thought the only one you ever truly cared for was Tara. And then you met Elizabeth and it was like I was seeing a whole new man. You told me that first time she was different. Just keep that in mind.”

XXXXXXXXX

Alan had been keeping his distance from Elizabeth ever since she’d been discharged from the hospital. Every time she asked about dinner, he made up an excuse about having a case or needing to help Denny with something.

It wasn’t that he didn’t care about her anymore. He did. He just didn’t like the way seeing her injured made him feel. It was awful and quite frankly, Alan wasn’t sure if he wanted to subject himself to it again. Being with Elizabeth meant that he’d always be vulnerable. Alan Shore had no interest in vulnerability, especially when it came to women.

Late one night, right as he was getting ready for bed, he heard a rather loud, insistent knock at his door.

“Ah, Lizzy. You’re stopping by rather late. Shouldn’t you be resting?”

She brushed past him, standing near the bed and crossing her arms. “What’s wrong with you, Alan?”

He raised his eyebrows and said rather indignantly,”I don’t know what you mean. Nothing’s wrong with me that I know of.”

“Oh, don’t be such an ass,” she said. “You’ve been ignoring me for two weeks now.”

“I haven’t been ignoring you. I’ve been busy.” Even to him, it sounded pathetic.

“Please. I’m sick of the excuses. Why don’t you just man up and tell me you don’t want to be with me anymore?” Although her posture was rigid, he could see the deep hurt reflected in her eyes. It made his stomach twist into unpleasant knots.

“I was just getting ready for bed.”

“Damn it, Alan! Did it possibly occur to you that I might have needed you these past few weeks? Did you ever think for one second, that maybe after almost _dying_, I might want you with me? Do you know how hard it’s been? I’ve hardly slept because every time I close my eyes, I get this panicked feeling. I was so excited to be discharged from the hospital because it meant I could see you again. But then you just…you just ignored me and left me to sort everything out myself.” Her voice was shaking slightly now, though her gaze remained steadily fixed on him.

“Just tell me what happened to make you not want me. I don’t want to guess and I’m tired of dancing around it. I’d rather not take up any more of your time, but I need to know.”

If Alan thought he’d felt guilt before, it couldn’t possibly compare to what he was feeling now. It was utterly crushing seeing her look so dejected. For her to think he didn’t want her was unthinkable. Even more so was the fact that he had been so selfish these past few weeks. He’d dealt with trauma victims before, so how could he not have assumed that she would be dealing with her own?

“Lizzy…” he began, trying to find the right words. “I am…I am not a very open man. It is rare that I share my emotions and even rarer that I express them to the person they are directed towards. I don’t like to be vulnerable. That’s why I’ve been such a womanizer in the past. It’s easier not to open myself up to others.”

He paused and ran a hand through his hair, his cheek twitching. “When I saw you lying in that hospital bed, it terrified me. I hadn’t acknowledged the danger you put yourself in every day until that moment. I distanced myself because it was easy; because I didn’t want to hurt like that again. Now I realize that by doing that I was only hurting you. And I’m sorry.”

She nodded, although she looked conflicted. “You can’t do that every time something happens. I might be hurt again, or we might get into an argument, but I can’t be in a relationship with someone who will shut me out.”

His lips curved down as he contemplated her words. She was right; he couldn’t just walk away when things got difficult. It wouldn’t solve anything.

“I will…I will try to be better about expressing myself around you and not shutting you out. And just to be clear, the idea that I would not want you anymore is absolutely ludicrous.”

That got a small smile out of her and he could see her shoulders relax a bit. “Good. I’m glad we’ve got that sorted out.”

He raised his eyebrows and asked,”That’s it? We can move on? You’re not going to yell at me or put me out in the doghouse?”

She looked up at him with amusement,”Of course not. You apologized and explained why you were behaving like such an asshole. It won’t do either of us any good if I stay angry. Besides, I’m not one to hold grudges.”

He laughed to himself, a bit in disbelief. “I was right that first day; you really are special.” Walking over, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. “Why don’t you sleep here tonight. You need to get some rest and I need to hold you.”

She nodded, nuzzling into his chest and letting out a breath of relief.


	7. Night Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth helps Alan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long delay again, I know. And it's a very short chapter. But I plan to put another one shot up in my Shorts collection either later today or tomorrow. The next chapter in this story will be a smutty one, so for those of you still reading, you have that to look forward to. Let me know what you think!

Elizabeth woke up to the sound of heavy panting and turned her head to look at the clock. 3:30 AM.

Turning her head, she saw Alan stumbling towards the balcony door and hastily trying to undo the latches. He seemed frantic and panicked. She couldn’t see his face, but his posture was rigid and he seemed to be running from something.

“Alan,” she called softly. “What are you doing? Come back to bed.”

He didn’t acknowledge her at all, only continued to fumble for the locks. She sighed and got out of bed, approaching him slowly. “Alan, what’s wrong with you?”

Again, no reply.

Once she was close enough to finally see his face, she saw that his eyes had a glassy, far away look to them. Something definitely wasn’t right. He must be sleepwalking, or something similar, because it seemed as though he was completely oblivious to what was going on around him.

“Alan, listen to me. Whatever it is that’s scaring you, you’re alright. It’s just a dream.” She rubbed his back and he jerked away, looking even more terrified than before. He started banging on the door, frantic to get away.

“Alan! Alan! It’s Elizabeth. Please stop trying to run. You’re safe. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.” She cooed softly, trying to reassure him that nothing bad would happen.

He seemed to relax slightly, though he stayed facing the door.

“Come back to bed, Alan. You’ll be safe there. I’ll watch over you, alright. I’ll make sure nothing happens.” Her assurances seemed to work because after a few seconds, he turned and unsteadily made his way back to bed, tucking himself under the covers.

Elizabeth let out a breath of relief and joined him, although she didn’t sleep the rest of the night. Her adrenaline was running high and the prospect of him actually finding his way out onto the balcony in such a state terrified her. He could kill himself doing something like that. It was a miracle that he had survived living here alone so long. Liz wondered how often he had these nightmares.

XXXXXXXXX

Alan awoke the next morning to find Lizzy watching him intently. She looked exhausted. There were bags under her eyes and a wrinkle of concern creased her forehead. She shot him a tired smile, seemingly relieved that he had woken up.

“How long have you been awake?” He asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes clear of sleep.

“Since about three thirty this morning. You…well, I don’t really know what happened, but I think you had a nightmare. I woke up to find you trying to go out onto the balcony. You seemed to be running from something.”

Alan looked a bit guilty as she recounted the night’s events. “I’m sorry, Lizzy. I have night terrors sometimes. Usually, they’re brought on when my stress levels are high.”

She looked at him sympathetically, though he seemed to be doing his best to avoid making eye contact. “It’s alright, Alan. You don’t have to feel guilty. Do you remember what was scaring you so much?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He said a bit tightly.

Elizabeth sighed and replied,”Do you remember our chat last night about you not shutting me out?”

He clenched his jaw and let out a huff of resignation. “Fine. I was panicked, yes, although I wasn’t trying to run from anything. I had a dream that you had been kidnapped. That you were being tortured and I was running out a time to save you. I couldn’t get in though. I couldn’t get in and it was too late. I was too weak and I-“ his voice cracked slightly and he stopped, instead taking in a shaky breath.

Liz moved to embrace him, burying his face in his neck. “I’m fine Alan. I can see now why you reacted the way you did. There’s no need to feel guilty or embarrassed or whatever else. I’m here and that’s what matters.”

He nodded in agreement and tightened his hold around her.

She smiled and placed feather light kisses along his neck, humming in delight at finally being close to him again.

Liz shifted and moved to sit on his lap, her legs straddling his hips. “Is there anything specific I should do if it happens again?”

“Well whatever you did this time seemed to work. I know you’re technically not supposed to touch someone if they’re experiencing a night terror, however, with you I think it might help calm me.”

She nodded leaned forward to kiss him gently. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I was so scared. I can’t believe you ever sleep alone. If I were you I’d be worried sick about jumping out the window.”

“Well now that I have you I don’t have to worry about that,” he replied with a small smile, although there was a hesitancy in his tone; like he didn’t really believe she would stay.

“Never again. I’ll always be here,” she assured.

Alan looked relieved and when he kissed her this time, it was full of emotion and everything he couldn’t express with words. Elizabeth returned it happily, her lips moving with his in a dance they had perfected over the past few months.

She rolled her hips and felt him already semi-hard beneath her. Pulling back, she shot him a mischievous smile. “I should probably shower and go eat breakfast. Lots of paperwork to do today.”

Alan looked up at her with darkened eyes, his arms wrapping around her waist to hold her in place. “The shower can wait, unless you’re going to invite me to join you. I’ve hardly seen you in weeks.”

She opened her mouth to retort but he beat her to it. “And yes, I know that’s my own doing, so I’d like to make it up to you right now if you’ll let me.”

He had a sly smirk on his face and Elizabeth could do nothing but smile and nod in agreement. He wasn’t the only one who needed some action.

In on swift motion, he flipped them so she was on her back, her legs still wrapped around his waist. He looked at her again, drinking in the sight her her beneath him. Yes, Alan Shore was a man who acted like he needed nothing and no one, but he craved emotional connection more than anything, even if he would never admit it.

Sliding down the bed, he took her sleep pants with him and was delighted to find she wasn’t wearing anything under them.

“Christ, I’ve missed you,” he breathed as he parted her legs. Liz’s breath hitched as he began to press soft kisses along her inner thighs, her stomach fluttering at the thought of what was to come. Alan was everything if not thorough. She wouldn’t be leaving this bed until she was more than satisfied.

He smiled as her hands came to thread through his hair, subconsciously trying to move his mouth to where she was most desperate to feel it.

“Patience,” he rumbled, his tongue darting out to swipe through her folds teasingly.

She whined and said frustratedly,”Stop teasing me, Alan. I thought you were trying to get back into my good graces.”

He chuckled and kissed her stomach before moving down between her legs. “Oh, I intend to more than compensate for my negligence.”

Licking his lips, he stared hungrily at the space below her quivering stomach. This was going to be fun.


End file.
